The Only Thing He Ever Feared
by BJA Fan
Summary: [Oneshot, DannySam] Heroes were supposed to be fearless. But tonight, just this once, he would give in to the fear of death.


_**It occurred to me after watching "Double Cross My Heart" that Danny was kind of overprotective of Sam…and thus the idea for this fic. **_

_**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own it.

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It was like every other routine night…Skulker had escaped and Danny, Sam, and Tucker went to chase him down. While Danny fought him, Sam and Tucker stood on the sidelines helping in any way they could, Tucker trying to hack into the PDA installed on the ghost's arm, and Sam shouting warnings whenever a ghost ray came too close for comfort.

But that night, something happened, something that more or less changed everything. Danny had Skulker distracted, giving Sam a chance to prime and aim the Fenton thermos. But unfortunately, Skulker saw her. She didn't know quite how it happened…one minute she was standing there like a sitting duck with the thermos in hand, and the next thing you know, a bright green ecto-blast was heading straight for her.

It happened in a flash. She tried to dodge, she really tried, but her foot had been stuck and she didn't move fast enough. There was a blinding light, and she screamed. She heard nothing except a strangled, distressed cry of 'Sam!' (_Danny, _her subconscious whispered) and her vision swam. Her eyes closed, for how long she didn't know, but when she opened them she was staring into a pair of worried green eyes. Only a few seconds had passed, it seemed, for Skulker was still floating in the air, grinning arrogantly.

The side of her head stung and throbbed with pain, and she brought a hand up to her temple. To her horror, she felt something warm and wet and knew, by the metallic smell that stung her nose, that it was blood.

"Oh my God, Sam," Danny said. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine…everything's kinda fuzzy though…but I'm okay…" her voice trailed off as Danny looked at her, unconvinced.

Tucker rushed to her side. "Go," he urged Danny. "I'll take care of Sam. Get rid of Skulker first." Danny narrowed his eyes, now glowing brighter than ever in anger. He took once again to the sky, fists glowing, eyes flashing. Skulker opened his mouth to say something, but was suddenly punched in the face. He steadied himself, drawing an ecto-gun, but was shot again by Danny's ecto-ray.

"Don't you _ever _touch Sam again!" he hissed threateningly, blasting, punching, and kicking Skulker with everything he had. Tucker and Sam watched in amazement as Danny's Ghostly Wail sent Skulker crashing to the ground, the impact causing a crater. He formed another ecto-blast with his hands again, but Tucker laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Cool it, man," said Tucker. "I t-think you got him." Without another word, Danny picked up the thermos and sucked Skulker into it.

"Come on, we gotta take Sam to my house and get some help," he said.

Jazz met them at the door, a grim look on her face. "Tucker called me right after it happened," she explained when Danny opened his mouth to ask why she was waiting at the door. "Come on, Mom and Dad are in the lab, but they might be up at any minute. We gotta get Sam cleaned up and back home."

They ushered her into Danny's room, locking the door behind him. Jazz took out a first-aid kit, hidden behind Danny's desk, and starting looking for bandages. She handed Sam a rag. "Keep pressure on the wound," she ordered shortly. "It'll stop the bleeding sooner." Danny hovered anxiously around Sam shoulders.

"Is she gonna be okay?" he asked Jazz uneasily.

"Yes," answered Jazz. "She was lucky this time, whatever hit her only nicked her. It's just a graze." Danny sighed, relieved. Jazz unrolled the gauze and wrapped it around Sam's head. "There," she said. "I'm not an expert, but I think that'll do. Hide it behind your hair, and if your parents ask, say you got hit by, um, a branch."

"A branch?" Sam questioned.

"Well, with the way you race around on those scooters of yours, it's a plausible excuse," said Jazz. Everyone froze when they heard Maddie and Jack walk up the lab stairs into the kitchen, talking loudly about an invention.

"I'd better go," said Sam. "It's almost ten."

"I'm going with you," said Danny, but he was stopped by Sam.

"I'll be fine, Danny, really," she said. "It's just a ten minute walk to my house. Besides, it's almost past your curfew, and what if your parents catch you sneaking out?"

"It's faster if I fly you to your house, I'll be there and back in five minutes," Danny said stubbornly.

"I'm a big girl now, I can take care of myself," Sam said. "Besides, didn't you say your parents were going to ground you if they caught you out of the house again after your curfew?"

"Yeah, but…okay, fine, but call me when you get back, okay?" said Danny.

"Fine," said Sam as she closed the door behind her. Tucker left after her, the pair heading in two different directions.

Sam reached her house soon, glad that the dizziness finally wore off. She headed upstairs—her parents seemed to be preoccupied with their banking accounts—and closed her bedroom door behind her. She stepped out of her clothes, and tossed her shirt and skirt down the laundry chute. She noted grimly that her shirt was streaked with blood, no doubt her own. Stepping inside her shower, she briefly recalled that she was supposed to call Danny, but decided that he wouldn't mind waiting a few more minutes.

The hot water eased her sore muscles and washed the blood out of her hair. Averting her eyes from the red water flowing down the drain, Sam turned the shower off and wrapped herself in a towel. She rummaged around in her drawers and pulled out a lavender set of PJ's, and, after dressing herself, plopped on her bed and snuggled under the covers. She vaguely reminded herself that she was supposed to call Danny, but by then she was completely asleep, hugging her pillows, the phone still in her hand.

She stirred when she felt someone's cold breath on her neck and, for the second time that night, awoke to find herself staring into a pair of green eyes.

"Danny? What are you doing here?" Danny sat down on her bed and changed back to his human form.

"You didn't call," he said accusingly. Then, in a softer tone he added, "I was worried about you."

"Danny, I'm perfectly capable of walking home alone without being mugged." An uncomfortable silence reigned for a minute.

Danny bit his lip. "Sam…I don't think you should come ghost-hunting with me anymore."

She was shocked by this sudden statement. "_What_? Why? Just because Skulker grazed the side of my head? Sheesh, Danny, you're overreacting." She frowned at him and folded her arms, leaning on the bedpost with a typical I'm-going-to-have-it-my-way-and-you'd-better-stop-being-stupid-and-overprotective look on her face.

"Sam, you don't get it. When I saw that blast heading for you, I was so scared, and I tried to get to you in time, but it was too late. And then there was blood _everywhere_, Sam, it was splattered all over the ground, and I thought for sure the blast had hit you a-and it would've been all my fault…" His voice faded out in the end and he took a deep shuddering breath.

"Danny, it's not your fault," Sam said comfortingly. "Besides, I'm okay, see? It's just a minor wound…I'll be fine by the end of the week."

"If I lost you…I don't know what I would've done."

Sam paused at this declaration, then smiled and reached over, wrapping her arms around Danny. He stiffened and the sudden contact, then relaxed an hugged her back.

Heroes were fearless, and Danny, in all modesty, considered himself a hero. They put their lives on the line daily for the safety of other people. They were brave and always overcame whatever obstacles were thrown in their way. They laughed in the face of death.

But tonight, just this once, Danny decided that it was okay to give in to the fear of death. Not his own, but that of someone who was precious to him.

_End.

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_**Meh, another lame attempt at fluff and romance by me. I got interrupted twice while writing this. Once when my computer froze and all my saved work disappeared, and another when my dad's newspaper caught on fire. O.O Don't ask, I think he was trying to help my mom in the kitchen. ("Trying" being the main word here.)**_

_**Anyway, if you liked it, please leave a little feedback:) And if you hated it…well, leave a little feedback anyway and tell me why you hated it. Constructive criticism is always appreciated! **_


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